Kickl as Chancellor? Warning from Ludwig

Ludwig is known to be no great fan of Kickl. In several newspaper interviews over the weekend, he emphatically warned against him. He quoted former ÖVP Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who had suggested Kickl's dismissal to the Federal President on the grounds that he posed "a security risk". Ludwig does not see any personnel debates within his own party.

Ludwig Does Not Expect Long Government Negotiations

The Vienna Mayor was affected by the ÖVP's about-face, as he told "Standard" and "oe24.tv": "But there is a certain script that has already been shown in federal states: fierce election campaigns, hard substantive disputes, personal conflicts between ÖVP and FPÖ. And after a lap of honour with the SPÖ, the ÖVP forms a coalition with the FPÖ." Ludwig assumes that there had already been talks between the FPÖ and - at least parts of - the ÖVP, which is why he does not expect very long government negotiations. His party leader sees it the same way: "Blue-Black was already being prepared in the background," Babler told "Heute". The FPÖ is largely a far-right party, Ludwig is convinced. "Not least Herbert Kickl himself has claimed this, he wears it like a badge," said the Vienna SPÖ leader in "Heute".

He regretted that the ÖVP had ultimately left the negotiating table. Unlike the ÖVP and the NEOS, he did not blame Andreas Babler. Ludwig stands 100 percent behind the party leader, as he "always stands behind the person who holds the party chairmanship." However, he would have liked the third National Council President Doris Bures to have been "more involved in the negotiations," he told "Presse". In general, the representatives of the strong Vienna SPÖ had been well represented in the various subgroups.

Ludwig now sees Austria "at a crossroads". As he announced in a Facebook post on Saturday, he would like to resume negotiations: "The SPÖ is of course ready at any time to immediately resume negotiations with ÖVP and Neos to form a federal government that is socially just, economically competitive and socially liberal in tackling the challenges in our country." The ÖVP and NEOS promptly rejected this via "Kurier".

Kickl Government with Consequences for Tourism?

Once again, the Mayor of Vienna emphasized that the federal political dispute between his party and the NEOS does not affect Vienna, where they work well together in the "Progress Coalition". This works so well that he is currently not considering other coalition options. The election will show what possibilities exist in the federal capital. In principle, he assumes that it will take place as planned in the fall, but he did not rule out an early date.

The mayor does not believe that Red Vienna could be disadvantaged by Blue-Black: "Vienna is an economic engine and net payer. Every federal government is well advised to establish a good understanding with Vienna. That's what I expect." However, Ludwig fears that a federal government led by Herbert Kickl could harm tourism.

FPÖ sees "wild attacks"

Ludwig's statements naturally met with criticism from the FPÖ, the Vienna party leader Dominik Nepp spoke out in a statement: "The wild attacks by Michael Ludwig against the FPÖ and Herbert Kickl are unworthy of a mayor and show once again that he has nothing else in mind than to distract from the massive failures of his own politics." Once again, he fired against Red Vienna: "The Red Vienna system has been favoring people for years who do not contribute to our society, while the hard-working Vienna population and those who fall into need through no fault of their own, are increasingly falling by the wayside.

Especially the economic wing and the industrialists within the ÖVP are seen as the driving force behind a coalition with the Freedom Party. The head of the Lower Austrian Industrial Association, Kari Ochsner, was critical of the FPÖ on Saturday. "A Fortress Austria is total nonsense and not feasible, but we also can't solve all the world's problems," he said in "profil". Furthermore, after the failed negotiations, Blue-Black is "without alternative", but: "The commitment to the future of our planet and against man-made climate change must not be endangered by the current political constellation. An adjustment of the FPÖ's oppositional views on Europe, Russia and climate protection is indispensable for me," he emphasized.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.